obloquy
American Heritage Dictionary:
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ob·lo·quy
(ŏb'lə-kwē) 
n., pl., -quies.
n., pl., -quies.
- Abusively detractive language or utterance; calumny: "I have had enough obloquy for one lifetime" (Anthony Eden).
- The condition of disgrace suffered as a result of abuse or vilification; ill repute.
[Middle English obloqui, from Late Latin obloquium, abusive contradiction, from Latin obloquī, to interrupt : ob-, against; see ob- + loquī, to speak.]
Word Overheard by Answers.com:
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obloquy
Public censure and — even worse — the disappointment of columnist George F. Will and other die-hard baseball fans are the fate of Barry Bonds, the slugger whose steroid use is now hitting the headlines:
"By now even Barry Bonds, although notably thick-skinned regarding public obloquy, might wish he had retired after the 1998 season..."
Link: Reading Barry Bonds' record
Posted March 13, 2006.
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Roget's Thesaurus:
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obloquy
noun
- Harsh, often insulting language: abuse, billingsgate, contumely, invective, railing, revilement, reviling, scurrility, scurrilousness, vituperation. See praise/blame.
- Loss of or damage to one's reputation: bad name, bad odor, discredit, disgrace, dishonor, disrepute, humiliation, ignominy, ill repute, odium, opprobrium, shame. See respect/contempt/standing.
Barron's Law Dictionary:
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obloquy
Blame, censure, reproach, 11 P. 713; to expose one to obloquy is to subject one to blame or disgrace and may constitute defamation. 258 P. 242.
Word Tutor:
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obloquy
IN BRIEF: n. - Abusive language; improper treatment.
There he remained, weeping indignantly at her stream of obloquy, bitterly ashamed of his tears, until it was time for supper.
— Jonathan Keates Stendhal.
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Random House Word Menu:
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categories related to 'obloquy'
- Blame, Censure, Ridicule, and Contempt - obloquy: abusive, condemnatory language, esp. by numerous persons
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American Heritage Dictionary
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Roget's Thesaurus
Roget's II: The New Thesaurus, Third Edition by the Editors of the American Heritage® Dictionary Copyright © 1995 byHoughton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Barron's Law Dictionary
Law Dictionary. Copyright © 2003 by Barron's Educational Series, Inc. All rights reserved.
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